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Archives for August 2015

08.26.15 |

Foundation Facebook Facts

By Winona Whitaker
Secretary, Drake Public Library Foundation

Drake Public Library Foundation has launched a Facebook page. Not that any of us on the board is a social media expert, but we know that this is the cultural norm. Facebook is the way to reach people, whether we like it or not. So we learn to like it. We use what is available to us. We do what is required of us. We learn to use Facebook.
As chairman of the Outreach Committee, I became the administrator of the page by default. I took that assignment seriously. Before launching the page, I read about Facebook and how, as a non-profit organization, we can reach donors using the service. Following these instructions was not the most difficult part of the project.
The most important part of setting up the page was deciding what it was going to be. A page about Drake Public Library Foundation alone would be very sparse. Our activities do not lend themselves to photos or updates. We are more of a long-term organization looking for contributions as beneficiaries of estates, annuities and life insurance policies.
A Facebook page about library activities or raising money for the library would be redundant; Drake Public Library, Drake Public Library Kids, and Friends of the Drake Public Library have Facebook pages of this type. We don’t want to repeat what is already available.
So rather than being a page about the library, we want to be an extension of the library. We will attempt to make our page a place where people can find new information every day, a place that is fun to visit but informative as well. We will find articles, photos and websites that might interest patrons of the library so that those patrons don’t have to search for these things themselves.
Initial posts on the Foundation Facebook page range from links to other library Facebook pages and websites and articles about literary works to library memes and famous and not-so-famous quotes. We want to reach the academically inclined as well as those entrenched in pop culture. We hope to attract people who enjoy prolix polemic on literary subjects as well as those who want short, quick bursts of information or profundity.
And we will periodically remind our readers that our library needs money to function.
Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/drakepubliclibraryfoundation. Like it if you like it, share it if you so desire, comment on it if you have something to say. And when you plan your charitable giving each year, name beneficiaries for investments or create a will, remember Drake Public Library Foundation.
Above all, keep reading.

08.19.15 |

Book Club Information

Exciting news!

The first official meeting of Drake Public Library’s new book club The Genre Shifters will be on September 9th at 2pm. We will also have a meeting on September 24th at 6 to discuss the same book. We’re starting out with 2 different meeting times in order to make the book club accessible for as many patrons as possible.

As Genre Shifters we will be picking a book from a different section of the library each month. We’ll all end up extremely well rounded as readers. This will be a great way to introduce some new flavors to your reading repertoire or help you break out of a rut.

September’s book is a very popular and highly acclaimed fantasy novel. We’ll be reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. According to the book’s publisher “The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called “Le Cirque des Reves,” and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.”

So make plans now to join us as we discuss the book and enjoy themed refreshments and the fellowship of other book enthusiasts.

Let the circulation desk know if you need a copy of the book and we will get you one.

08.12.15 |

Hey–what’s your genre?

Genre is a word that I say all the time! As a librarian and a nosy person, I constantly ask people what their favorite book or genre is. According to Merriam Webster, genre is defined as: a particular type or category of literature or art.  I love to find out what other people read, so I guess I have the perfect job as a librarian.

Goodreads ranks the most popular book of the year (2015) so far as “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins. This title is a mystery/thriller. Mysteries seem to be a very popular genre right now. Authors like Gillian Flynn, James Patterson, and John Sandford are in demand at the Drake  Public Library and currently  rule the New York Times Bestseller list. “The Girl on the Train” has been a steady winner on the list for the last 29 weeks.

Romance novels are a fun genre also. The romance section includes, paranormal romances like “All I want for Christmas is a Vampire” by Kerrelyn Sparks. Other sub genres within the romance world include historical romances, inspirational romances, and young adult romances. According to the Romance Writer’s of America website, in 2013, annual total sales of romance novels (print and electronic) totaled 1.08 billion dollars! The romance genre makes up 13% of all adult book sales. 84% of romance readers are female and 16% are male.

I am writing about genres today because we are starting a new book club at the Drake Public Library. The book club will read a different genre each month. The goal is to try other genres and sub genres of literature. There is time to join. Our first selection is “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern. It is a fantasy tale full of magic, competition, and a dash of romance.  Stop by and request your copy. We will be borrowing copies from other libraries in the state of Iowa. If you are interested, the group will be meeting in September to discuss this book. Check the website’s calendar for the exact date and time.

 

08.03.15 |

3,270 hours

Girl with Summer Reading Program Prize.

Jazzmine with a prize for completing ten hours of reading. Prize donated by Friends of Drake Library.

Girl with a twinkie.

Khloe and her twinkie minion.

Girl with art kit.

Shelby won an art kit for completing the required reading for the Summer Reading Program.

 

 

 

Every Hero Has a Story! Summer Reading Program 2015 Read!  Listen! Learn!

The library’s summer reading program has come to a close. Since the beginning of June, we’ve turned ourselves into superheroes, created animal hero puppets, shown appreciation for our local fire fighters and veterans, created amazing Lego creations, watched super hero movies and had parties with our American Girl dolls and our pet dogs. We’ve been taught amazing and interesting things by the Blank Park Zoo, Centerville Fire Department, Appanoose County Museum, Honey Creek Resort and the Science Center of Iowa. We’ve read books and won really cool prizes!

 

337 children registered for the summer reading program. If you were lucky enough to be one of the first 100 families to register, you probably have one of our “A Library Hero Lives Here” signs in your yard. 168 children completed the program by reading at least 10 hours for a total of 1,680 hours. There was also 1,590 extra hours read by these participants for a total of 3,270 hours read by our Super Reading Heroes! It has been our record breaking summer, with more participants and the highest completion rate that we’ve ever seen. Way to go kids!

 

Girl with a prize.

Brenda and her prize for completing the 2015 Summer Reading Program.

An amazing fact about our summer reading program is that it is absolutely free to all participants. Our prizes, programs, supplies, snacks and crafts are all paid for by the Friends of the Drake Public Library, local restaurants and volunteers. A big THANK YOU goes out to The Friends of the Drake Public Library, lead by Colene Chebuhar (who also took pictures at our programs – yay!), American Legion, Centerville Fire Department, Hardee’s, Sonic, Subway, Pizza Hut, VFW, and of course, the staff and volunteers here at Drake Public Library. Your donations of money, materials, and your time made this summer great for the children that we serve.

 

So, why do we do this? We do this because we love children, we love books, and we love seeing children excited about reading and learning! We’re beating the “Summer Slide” here by putting books in the hands of children who are on break from school and engaging them in fun learning opportunities.

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